Posts Tagged ‘drinking’

“I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.”~ Edgar Allan Poe

Due to recent events, it is time to set the record straight.

I have been getting asked very frequently in recent days about whether or not I drink. Most specifically if I drink alcoholic beverages.

Most of my social life revolves around live music, which everyone knows. And of course live music venues are usually clubs and bars where the sale of alcohol is their prime business. A large percentage of people that know me, well that’s where they see me. In venues.

Happy to say that they are kind enough to want to buy me a drink. However, 99.98% of the time I either politely decline their offer outright or I tell them that I don’t drink and come up with a counter offer to something like a Coke or a soft drink of some sort.

Ever since I started enjoying live music, this is how I have operated. People are accepting of it and respectful.

The other night however I was spotted by a great number of people enjoying a beer. Suddenly, people were very, VERY confused at what they saw. One person said that they thought that they were dreaming.

And another night, someone said that they saw me having shots with some band members.

So now, this is my public service announcement to those who are stumped, confused, and essentially losing their mind over the subject.

I will start out by actually answering the question: DO I DRINK?

Answer: Yes.

As just about everyone else on the planet, after I surpassed the legal age of drinking, I did have my times of going to the night club, watching people, enjoying music, and drinking. And I learned what my limit was to where I knew that I needed to stop so that by the time I went home, I was sober enough to safely do so.

But after a while the money that I was spending on buying drinks was growing and growing that by the end of the month I didn’t have enough money to feed myself.

I finally stopped going to the night club because it got very boring to me, and I didn’t like how much money I was spending on drinks. I even stopped going to the store to buy alcohol.

This went on for a while and if I was drinking anything at all, it was at someone’s home. Usually during a dinner or some small gathering of friends.

And now with the atmosphere of live music, and the passage of time, the idea of drinking is less appealing. But that is mainly due to the COST of buying alcohol.

The other factor is whether or not the restrooms in the venue are actually accessible. If I am not able into a restroom at a venue or have a lot of difficulty doing so, then I will simply choose not to drink. And a lot of the times when I politely refuse it is because of the accessibility situation. And that is commonly what the situation is. If I cannot properly relieve myself when I am away from home…. I won’t drink.

My travels in recent years to Houston, I may have ONE beer if anything. But that is only because the venues that I have attended are not accessible at all. Some in Austin are a lot easier but not quite what I would need to make sure that I can get the business done.

Having Spina Bifida makes consuming alcohol more of a pain in the ass!! It goes through the bladder a lot faster than the average person. To put this very bluntly, if I am at some venue and I have a drink or whatever and I have to urinate, because of the decrease in bodily function and control, all it takes those few seconds that I am transferring from the wheelchair to the toilet before it just comes pouring out of me getting all over me and my clothes. And essentially making me unfit for social interaction for the rest of the night.

There have been times when I have been on antibiotics or other medication that warn against drinking while taking it. Thankfully, that is not the case all of the time.

So I am NOT necessarily against drinking. It has nothing to do with personal beliefs or anything like that. I’m not necessarily restricted from drinking. It just depends on where I am and what I am able to do when nature strikes. It obviously would be a lot easier to deal with at home as I can just clean up and if need be change clothes. It is not that easy to do when I am not at home. Even if I take extra with me.

And I am definitely NOT trying to offend anyone or hurt their feelings when they want to buy me a drink and I say no or counter offer them with something else. It is just my way of self-preservation.

I AM against the idea of being drunk and trying to ride the bus home. Bus drivers are instructed to deny passengers too inebriated from riding. I have witnessed others being told to get off the bus. I don’t wish to be stranded somewhere when I am not close to home. Or at all!!

So for those reading who have tried to buy me drinks, keep in mind the following:

If I can’t easily get into the rest rooms where I am at. I won’t drink.

If I am on medication, I won’t drink.

I will not go beyond my personal limit of consuming alcohol.

I have no problem with your courtesy, in fact it is appreciated. In fact, I would LOVE To have a drink with you!! And I will always thank you later for it. But there are just parameters that I follow when the question of drinking comes up.

I hope this answers the questions that you have had and/or clears up any confusion. Feel free to start a conversation in the comments below if there’s anything that I missed.

I was too far gone last night to be writing about this in the blog. And you’ll understand more as you read.

But last night in Austin, Texas was the battle to get into the Texas Independence Fest.

With one band in particular that I’ve come to really enjoy in the last month, Casket of Cassandra.

They originally come out of California, but have come to Austin, Texas to be closer to their current record label. This is at least what I am understanding.

So the Dirty Dog Bar was hosting this contest and on a whim, I took off running for it. I wanted to see Casket of Cassandra play live.

I wanted to see what else they had. And I wanted to see what they could do live. And I’ve only known about them about a month. Since they very first day of 2014.

Needless to say, that I am totally addicted to their latest and greatest song, “Solitaria” which if you know me… is no surprise.

Never meeting them in person or anything before. I attempted to get to infamous Sixth Street before it got dark.

That planned failed. The whole show got put on hold until a couple of hours later. I would learn by some of the members of Casket of Cassandra that it was because a ton of bands had bailed on the night.

And I am going to say this right now: I HATE SAN JACINTO BLVD. Who in the hell thought that was a good idea for downtown?

Very frustrating.

But once I finally got to the club, things got better. Tons better. Almost too good.

I was finally able to meet Amanda Maddera, vocalist for Casket of Cassandra. She’s really nice and awfully sweet.

Within time, I would come to say hello to the rest of the band. It was really cool for the majority of them to just talk and hang out and laugh about whatever came up. Mainly we all giggled because I had gone into the men’s room and scribbled the name of the band and their new song on the walls of the bathroom stall and they totally thought that was a trip.

Amanda Maddera, vocalist of Casket of Cassandra

When it was time, they were all serious and by the books. They had a job to do.

I have to say that I did not know exactly what to expect from Casket of Cassandra. But I was totally blown away by their performances on stage. Everyone clicked in with one another.

Amanda has the kind of screaming vocals that will melt the skins and faces off of demons, and make Satan himself shutter while thinking… “Ohhhhhh shit!!!”

Between having a conversation with her and then seeing her on stage is the difference between winter’s night and summer’s day.

Isaac Holliday, guitarist for Casket of Cassandra

Amanda Maddera could give Angela Gossow a good run for her money, vocals wise.

I personally would not be offended if Casket of Cassandra did a cover of “We Will Rise” by Arch Enemy, just to see how well Amanda would hold up with the vocals. I mean, she is one awesome and scary mofo when that microphone is turned on and in her hands.

I was totally astonished and impressed with guitarist Isaac Holliday. It was because of his mother that I got to know the band. So I have a lot to be thankful for with her.

And still Isaac is a complete insane beast when he plays on stage. I have never seen such things more terrifying and awesome both at the same time from any guitarist.

The one thing about Isaac that made me freak out is the fact that he got up on stage barefoot and rocked the entire set until the end. And he didn’t just stay in the standing position either. He drew energy from crowd and was everywhere.

I knew that his mother was proud of him and his accomplishments and his decision to be a part of this band. And now I know WHY she is so proud.

If I started up my old band again, and was to start fresh… I’d do everything I could to get Isaac to say YES to the project. I’m hoping that Isaac will forward the photograph of the band name that was written on the bathroom wall to me soon. I wanna see how that turned out.

So the only way to describe Casket of Cassandra’s performance last night would be:

COMPLETE AND TOTAL HIGH VOLTAGE!!

And then came the end of the eargasm. A musical cockblock by staff members of the Dirty Dog. Amanda had announced that they had one more song, but they were being told to get off the stage and that they were done.

That one song… Solitaria. They intended to rock out with it at the very end, and never got a chance to play it. I was crushed. I was broken down. And of course I was pissed off. I am hoping that VERY SOON that I will catch them playing live again and that they WILL play the song.

I sat there thinking to myself that if I were them, I probably would have just gone ahead and played it, regardless. Because hey, this is heavy metal and so shove it!!!

What’s the worst they could have done? Turned off the microphones? Amanda and Riles (backing vocals and guitarist) would have just sang without the microphones and still killed the crowd. At least that is my biased opinion.

And I remember sitting there, staring at Amanda as she was breaking down the stage. I shouted “I came out into the Texas cold for this, for Solitaria. And I just threw your band’s name on the walls of the stall in the men’s room.”

The Thirsty Goat

Amanda looked at me oddly and grinned. And now, I just don’t blame her for that reaction.

Dambreaker …….. was D-R-U-N-K last night!!!!!!!!!

And it was not funny, at all.

Two of these bad boys and several shots. All of that was BEFORE Casket of Cassandra even got on stage.

For someone who doesn’t drink a lot of alcohol, and has refused all but two drinks of liquor when going to Houston to see SIX MINUTE CENTURY or any other Houston band play, the delectable amber brew was too much. And of course the sting of the Tequila.

My apartment manager loves the idea of me getting out of the house as much as possible. Particularly if it involves doing something that I enjoy– such as music. Each and every time I want to go out and see this band or that band play, he is all for it.

He knew someone who was working at the bar who goes by the name of HOLLYWOOD, and I was to introduce myself. HOLLYWOOD decided to buy shots.

On top of that, I was given some cash to enjoy a drink, courtesy of my manager. His suggestion was the Thirsty Goat.

It is SO DELICIOUS! But it is also the complete and total DEVIL!!

I’m afraid after two of those and all of that Tequila, there was no saving Dambreaker. I am surprised that I even made it home on the bus. Luckily, the men’s room at the Dirty Dog Bar are VERY KIND to the ADA community. And that was such a welcomed relief, pun intended. I think that’s what curbed off some if not most of the inebriation.

So with all of that going on, I don’t fault Amanda for her reaction at all. That was kinda stupid on my behalf. DUH!!!

And that is why there wasn’t a chance of me being able to write about this when I got home last night. Too drunk. For like the first time in …. YEARS.

I dropped the digital camera that was given to me and I’m hoping it comes back to life soon. Cement floors in bars. I hate them. But at least though I look awesome while gliding across them in my wheelchair.

I didn’t get a photograph with the entire band like I would always do. Hopefully that will come at a later time.

And this morning I learned that this entire battle last night, Casket of Cassandra actually WINS!! So that was really awesome. They are set to play a show at Emo’s in April with HUGE artists with HUGE recording labels behind them. Its going to be great for the band!!

So I sit and wait for the next show. Hoping for more. Craving Solitaria!!!